…says posterity will judge whoever goes against wishes of Nigerians
Foremost Yoruba socio-cultural organization, the Oodua People’s Congress (OPC), has condemned in totality, the position of the Senate Majority Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele on regionalism, saying the lawmaker has lost the trust of the people he is representing in Yoruba land.
The senator, while speaking at the national assembly hearing on constitutional review, rejected the bill to return Nigeria to regionalism, the move will automatically give the easterners Biafra if the lawmakers allow regional system in Nigeria.
Speaking in a statement made available to the media, the Publicity Secretary of the OPC, Barrister Yinka Oguntimehin, said it is unfortunate that Barrister Opeyemi, who was once a respected activist who clamoured for a national conference to address the fundamental issues of restructuring in this country could suddenly change and become a centralist- minded person that is now rejecting the bill to return Nigeria to regionalism.
Oguntimehin said the lawmaker has failed to realize all the advantages inherent in regionalism, stating that regionalism will allow cohesion, healthy competition and regional autonomy as well as enhance regional and internal security among the regions.
“Even a country with over 10 million people with such a multi-ethnic composition like Nigeria must have a federating unit that allows regional autonomy, regardless of the name you wish to call it, either regions or provinces. That is the normal thing all over the world.
“For instance, the 50 states in the US
are like regions. Also in Ghana, a prominent country in Africa with a population of less than sixty million has region. Even South Africa allows its provinces to develop at their own pace.
“It is unfortunate that a man of Opeyemi Bamidele’s position, background and antecedents decided to go against the position of many Nigerians and selfishly narrow his thinking to play politics with such a sensitive issue and also believing that regionalism may later in the future give a particular ethnic nationality a country as he was referencing the eastern region with the Biafra.
“He didn’t even see the wisdom in looking beyond his nose to see the possibilities and importance of regionalism as a potential tool for a successful federating unit.
“I wonder how an activist, a former student union leader, a Senate leader like him with history of activism has suddenly made a turn-around to show how political position and power can easily change his person.
“As far we are concerned, OPC condemns his position in totality and it is unfortunate that he is one of the representatives in Yoruba land.
“However, we urge him to change his views and position on this because as a foremost Yoruba socio-cultural organization, the OPC is monitoring the events in the parliament and history will always judge whoever that goes against the wishes of Nigeria and Nigerians.
“I remember in the beginning of the OPC’s struggle, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele was one of the activists that was at the vanguard of the call for national conference. He stood by the people then and now like a chameleon, he has suddenly changed.
“Let it be said that the only way Nigeria can move forward as a nation is to embrace regionalism where the regions develop at their own pace.
“Let it also be said that for those whose position was that if we have regionalism, the central government will be weakened, that is not true, because the issue of the percentage of the resources to be allocated to the federal or the government at the centre will be addressed between the regions.
“The government at the centre will automatically be strong and most of the blame games that are usually directed at the government at the centre will definitely not be directed to the federal government alone.
“For instance, some of the problems we have today as country are not only caused only by the president, but also by the governors and the local government chairmen.
“But because of the system of government we practise, which is unitary system of government, all blames and condemnations go to the president or the presidency.
“So, we think it is time for us to correct this political misstep by allowing the federating units to develop at their own pace.
“OPC’s position on regionalism is sacrosanct because it is the only possible solution that will allow Nigeria to fulfill its dream of becoming a great nation.
“We want federal, region, state and local government because those are the four tiers of government that can foster peace, progress and development in Nigeria.
“Imagine a country where all the four tiers of government have their police structure.The issue of insecurity will be a thing of the past.
“Under this arrangement, we can still have one national army, navy, air force and the DSS, while the police structure should be national, region state and local government.
“That is the only system that can guarantee effective policing in Nigeria.Politicians should not ignore the very essence of the foundation of this country because today they are in the parliament.
“They should not set bad precedent.
They should not allow Nigeria to slide and become the laughing stock among the comity of nations.
“Everyday, Nigeria is sliding. The image of Nigeria is not too good in the global community because we choose to continue to operate with constitution handed over to us by the military government.
“So, for Senator Opeyemi Bamidele to continue to support the status quo, giving unnecessary excuses, is a sad reminder of how power intoxicates.
“If we have regionalism today,the issue of agitation in the East will reduce drastically because the Easterner will decide who becomes their premier and they will work on the progress of their region and will be meeting at the centre in Abuja,
without any interference from any part of the region.
“That is the simple analysis that can change the narratives of this country”,he stated.
The OPC scribe stated also that the National Assembly is supposed to resolve issues revolving around the local government autonomy, but they failed until the President got a Supreme Court judgment that later resolved the lingering issues.
Oguntimehin further maintained that posterity will judge whoever goes against the wishes of Nigeria and Nigerians.
